Plate Spotting

Grace, from Nottingham Girls High School, and Clement, from River Valley High School, managed to crack this problem. Well done to you both.

Clement tackled it in this way:

"Since the car ending with L was NOT beside the one starting with L, but was next to the one that started with J, we get these possibilities:

****	L***	L***	L***	J***	****	***L	***L
L***	****	****	J***	***L	***L	J***	J***
J***	J***	***L	***L	****	J***	L***	****
***L	***L	J***	****	L***	L***	****	L***

Since the two cars with M on their plates were at opposite ends of the group, we get these possibilities:

***M	L**M	L**M	M***	M**L	M**L
L***	****	J***	***L	J***	J***
J***	J***	***L	J***	L***	****
M**L	M**L	M***	L**M	***M	L**M

Since the car whose license plate ended in K had the one starting with L in front, we get:

***M	L**M	L**M
L***	***K	J**K
J**K	J***	***L
M**L	M**L	M***

Since the car with a plate starting with K was not next to the one starting with an L, we get:

L**M

J**K

K**L

M**J

Therefore this is the order of the cars."